Essentials: Tremor 2025

Tremor Festival is back with a bang, and São Miguel, Azores, will once again be the epicenter of groundbreaking music and artistic collaboration in April 2025. Selling out in record time, the festival promises to push creative boundaries, with the latest wave of lineup announcements showcasing an eclectic blend of global artistry, innovation, and cultural exchange.

Among the newly announced highlights is Asmâa Hamzaoui, a trailblazing female Gnawa musician, who, along with her group Bnat Timbouktou, will infuse the festival’s iconic Tremor Todo-o-Terreno hikes with her spellbinding guembri and qraqeb rhythms. Sharing this immersive journey is avant-garde saxophonist Julius Gabriel, whose raw, experimental soundscapes will echo São Miguel’s natural splendor.

Adding to the festival’s vibrancy is Oko Ebombo, a Parisian street jazz visionary, fusing music, dance, and visuals to create uplifting urban narratives. Joseph Keckler, the acclaimed American vocalist and storyteller, will captivate audiences with his darkly humorous and surreal performances that transform the mundane into the extraordinary.

Tremor 2025 also pays homage to musical legacies. Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) and Norberto Lobo will unite to honor Carlos Paredes on the centenary of the iconic Portuguese guitarist’s birth, reinterpreting his work through a fresh, contemporary lens.

The festival’s global scope extends with Fidju Kitxora, blending Cape Verdean rhythms like funaná and kuduro with electronic experimentation, and Lisbon’s DJ Fvbricia, bringing her infectious AfroHouse and Amapiano beats to keep the dancefloor alive. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Sistema de Entretenimiento will inject their signature “arcade punk” energy, and Belgium’s Why The Eye? promises an industrial soundscape with handmade instruments and spectral techno.

Showcasing homegrown talent, Eugénia Contente will intertwine Azorean roots with Lisbon’s jazz scene, while São Miguel-based Ukrainian artist Anita Nemet and her son Olan explore ethno melodies, wartime sounds, and avant-garde electronics in a deeply personal collaboration.

The 2025 lineup also celebrates unorthodox artistry with Gay da Cinemateca’s unpredictable DJ sets, KEBRA’s fusion of Cape Verdean hip-hop and dancehall, and the dark humor of previously announced acts like José Pinhal Post-Mortem Experience.

Tremor 2025 is shaping up to be a convergence of sounds, genres, and cultures, creating an unparalleled sensory experience in one of the world’s most stunning locations. For those lucky enough to grab a ticket, this year’s festival promises to be a journey through music, storytelling, and innovation, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Azores.